This is why doing cardio won’t get rid of your cellulite

If the only thing you know about cellulite is that you don’t like it, listen up.

First of all, you’re not alone, as independent research carried out by Ginger Comms on behalf of Cellfina® found that cellulite is the biggest body ‘hang up’ for women in the UK.

And secondly, the way to ‘get rid of it’ isn’t as straightforward as you’d think…

What even is cellulite?

Whether you’re a marathon runner or a total couch potato, cellulite can appear on women of all fitness levels and body shapes.

“Cellulite is caused by tiny connective tissue filaments (called fibrous septae) that anchor the skin to the underlying tissue and have fat in between”, explains plastic surgeon Dr Nick Rhodes. “These filaments can pull down on the skin’s underside and create dimples (cellulite).”

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“Whilst connective tissue can be weakened by hormones, lack of exercise and muscle tone and poor circulation, it is not due to obesity or toxins, it’s just normal fat in the body.”

What’s the best exercise for getting rid of cellulite?

One of the biggest misconceptions about cellulite is that cardio is the answer to a smooth derriére. But the truth is, you need a combination of workout styles, particularly muscle-building movements to improve the tone of the skin.

“Building muscle through exercising will help lymphs (a fluid that carries waste and toxins away from cells to be expelled from the body) flow more freely through fatty areas, speeding up your natural detoxing system”, says Dr Rhodes.

To target your cellulite, make sure to include plenty of squats and lunges in your routine to target the thigh and glute muscles. This will help to boost circulation and trigger better hormonal balance.

Are there any other treatments proven to get rid of cellulite?

When it comes to creams and lotions that promote themselves as ‘cellulite smoothing’, Dr Rhodes says these are unlikely to work, as they aim to ‘remove toxins from the body’, but cellulite isn’t caused by toxins.

Instead, he recommends Cellfina®, a minimally invasive treatment that targets the structural cause of cellulite. “A small needle-sized device is used to treat the cellulite-causing bands just beneath the surface of the skin”, he says.

“The needles break the bands up and release them, like releasing a rubber band under tension, in turn allowing the skin to bounce back and smooth itself out, alleviating the dimpled appearance.”

If you’re not ready to go quite so hardcore, Miranda Kerr swears by dry body brushing for cellulite. But you do need to commit to this daily to see results.

Simply grab yourself a brush, and apply pressure in circular motions starting from the feet, up towards the heart. It will help to circulate blood and release the fatty deposits that cause dimples.

But you know what? If you can’t be bothered doing either, just leave it. Cellulite affects around 85 per cent of women worldwide, so we might as well rock out with our dimples out.